Using Satellites to Get Into Big Poker Tournaments

Many people will overlook the fact that they can actually NOT have to pay the full amount of a buy-in into a big poker tournament. This is a great way to save yourself some money, and let your skill at the game of poker be the reason why you win your way into an event. Regardless of the event, there is typically a smaller buy-in satellite that you can play in to win your way into the big event. Even at places like the World Series of Poker you can find small nine person events that can give you an entry into the big ones! For example, say that there is a tournament that you want to buy-in to, but it costs $1,000. You can play a $100 satellite which will award the winner the entry into the main tournament. There are definitely a few things to consider about playing in satellites, and that’s what we are going to take a look at today.

Knowing Your Limit on Satellites

Think about the example above. If you are paying $100 to buy-in to a satellite, as long as you aren’t doing that satellite more than nine times, then you are coming out ahead over buying into the actual event. The problem is, if you end up going past that point, then you’ve officially gone in the complete opposite direction if you end up buying into the event, and instead of paying the $1k buy-in, you’ve basically paid $2k to buy-in to the one tournament! This is never a good thing, which is why you should set a limit on the number of satellites that you are willing to buy-in to before you actually start playing. Most people will stick with 2-4 satellites in most situations, but that’s completely up to you and your style of play!

Style of Play for Satellites

A lot of this will depend on the type of satellite that you are playing. More often than not a satellite is 9 or 10 total players, which gives the feel of being a sit-n-go essentially. Sit-n-go strategy is key, as you should be very tight throughout the beginning of play, and raise a bit more often as you gain a bigger stack. If you simply aren’t getting hands and your stack is slowly starting to deplete, then you should just look for a spot to be able to get it all in ahead, and potentially get a nice double up. Some satellites will give more than just one seat into the big event, and if this is ever the case then you should be sure to adjust your play if you get down to the final three or four people, because at this point it isn’t about WINNING, but simply about finishing in those top two or three spots!

Overall, satellites are an option that almost all poker players should look into. It can save you quite a bit of money in the long run, because if you can pay $100 to buy-in to a $1k tournament, and you only min-cash the payout is still excellent for you because you will be making a ton back on your original $100 investment.